The Audit Bureau of Circulations has been under fire for the lack of policing policies that swirled around a number of publications overstating their circulation rate bases. Quick to "fix" this, and in an effort to disassociate themselves from the scandals, the ABC reviewed and restated their policies and invented a quick-to-market "Rapid Report", providing more timely circulation figures.Did someone forget to let them know that the industry will move away from circulation as a basis for pricing?This report isn't needed ... nor does it qualify as a final publisher statement. Today, the discontent escalates as the ABC has been hit with a lawsuit alleging fraud, conspiring to overstate circulation figures.Is the ABC is a good cop turned bad cop? Should the allegations be unfounded, the Bureau remains a good cop turned retired cop ... ineffective, unnecessary and tired. Can it be salvaged? Absolutely, but it will require an overhaul of its business process, rooted in the new vision of what the publishing industry needs to compete in the market for its share of ad dollars.For now, the ABC remains ...Anything But Credible.

2 comments:

Agreed. It won't be long before offline media (print, TV) will be held to metric that are verifiable and actually can point to engagement. Just because you have a circ of 2MM, doesn't mean anyone saw your ad. And by the time clients receive STARCH reports, it's too late to do a thing...

Agreed. It won't be long before offline media (print, TV) will be held to metric that are verifiable and actually can point to engagement. Just because you have a circ of 2MM, doesn't mean anyone saw your ad. And by the time clients receive STARCH reports, it's too late to do a thing...